Overview of the orders and decorations of the Third Reich
After the defeat in World War I and the end of the monarchy in 1918, orders and decorations no longer played a major role in the Weimar Republic. This changed with the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933, and the Nazi takeover of power. Orders, especially the war decorations from World War I, were once again highly valued. A good example of this are the two World War I aviator heroes and Knights of the Order. Pour le Merite Ernst Udet and Hermann Göring. Adolf Hitler himself was almost never seen without his World War I medals, the Verwundetenabzeichen in black and the Iron Cross 1nd Class.
The medals established before 1933, to the extent that they were still being awarded, were adapted to the new circumstances. Usually, this was simply done by adding a swastika. Examples include the Rescue Medal, the Fire Service Medal, and the Mine Rescue Medal.
Orders and decorations between World War I and World War II
Other decorations were newly established. These were mostly associated with the National Socialist ideology or the preparations for war. Examples include the Cross of Honor of the German Mother (Mother's Cross), the Air Raid Protection Medal, and the German Protective Wall Medal.
The first newly established decoration of the Third Reich was the World War Cross of Honor, honoring participants in World War I. This award was established in 1934, but still without the swastika or other Nazi symbols.
On the occasion of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the Olympic Medal of Honor and the Olympic Commemorative Medal were established. Both already featured a swastika.
The following year, in 1937, the Order of Merit of the German Eagle was established. The Order of Merit of the German Eagle was a decoration specifically established to honor foreign nationals. It was usually awarded to high-ranking diplomats. In the same year, Adolf Hitler also established the German National Prize for Art and Science. It was the highest peace award of the Third Reich. It was intended to replace the Nobel Prize, which Hitler had forbidden German citizens to accept in response to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Carl von Ossietzky in 1936.
In 1938 and 1939, the three so-called Anschluss Medals were established. These medals honored services related to the annexation of the respective region to the German Reich. The medal commemorates the Anschluss of Austria on March 13, 1938; the medal commemorates the Anschluss of the Sudetenland on October 1, 1938; and finally, in 1939, the medal commemorates the return of the Memel region.
Orders and decorations of the Condor Legion
In 1939, the first military decoration of the Third Reich was established. For the German participants in the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939), the German Spanish Cross established in three levels and one special level. The Cross of Honor for the Survivors of German Spanish Fighters was established for the surviving relatives of fallen German fighters.
Also for the German volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, Adolf Hitler renewed the Wound Badge for the wounded of the Condor Legion.
The establishment of the Decoration of Honour for German People's Care in 1939 was the last civilian decoration of the Third Reich.
World War II, foundations of the Iron Cross, the Knight's Cross and the War Merit Cross
With the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, the focus shifted primarily to the establishment of military orders and decorations. For example, the Iron Cross was reinstated and the Knight's Cross was newly established at the very beginning of the war. The War Merit Cross was also established at the start of World War II.
The long course of the war necessitated the establishment of more and more new war decorations. For example, the German Cross in 1941 and the establishment of four additional levels of the Knight's Cross from 1940 to 1944.
In 1942, the Motor Vehicle Probation Badge was established. This badge honored drivers who had demonstrated outstanding service during the war. It was intended to encourage drivers to maintain and drive their vehicles with care.
The Winter Battle in the East medal was established in 1942 for the German participants in the harsh winter battles on the Eastern Front in 1941/42.
Wehrmacht sleeve badges and cuff bands
Furthermore, a new form of decoration in German military history was instituted: the sleeve shield. Sleeve shields were awarded for participation in specific battles. The first sleeve shield was the Narvik Shield , instituted in 1940, followed by the Cholm Shield and Crimea Shield in 1942 , the Demyansk Shield and the Kuban Shield in 1943 , and finally the Warsaw Shield in 1944, which, however, was never awarded.
In addition to the sleeve badges, there were also cuff bands. The first of its kind was the Crete cuff band. It was instituted by Adolf Hitler on October 16, 1941, to honor the German participants in the airborne operations on Crete. Four more cuff bands were subsequently instituted until 1945: the Africa cuff band in 1943, the Metz cuff band in 1944, and finally the Courland cuff band in 1945.
Weapons and war badges of the Wehrmacht
Two special awards were established in 1942: the Bravery Award for Members of the Eastern Peoples and the Merit Award for Members of the Eastern Peoples. Both awards were established specifically for Russian volunteers in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
In addition to the aforementioned awards, there were numerous so-called weapons and war badges. Examples include the Assault Badge, the Tank Battle Badge , the Pilot's Badge, and the Submarine War Badge. There were also a multitude of de facto semi-official awards issued by the Nazi Party and its affiliated organizations. Examples include the Golden Party Badge and various service awards.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, World War II war decorations may only be worn without Nazi symbols, in the form established in 1957. The other decorations of the Nazi era may no longer be worn in Germany.
